Its a short walk from the White House to the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room, but its still a long way for the accountability survivors are seeking.

"In this room you have 17,000 pounds of evidence of one of the worst crimes in American history," said David Garrett, organizer for the Institute for Primary Facts.

The curated exhibit is hoping to close that gap. It includes a printed copy of every single document released by the Department of Justice as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

"What is 3.5 million files? You know, it's hard to really know what that means until you print them all out," Garrett said.

There are nearly 3,500 volumes totaling 800 pages each. Shelf after shelf is packed with information.

"There's something about seeing it tactile, right?" Garrett said. "Any one of these books, has something horrible in it, and some of them have lots of horrible stuff."

The gravity is the goal.

"You see a cat video and a birthday party and evidence of one of the worst crimes in history, and they all kind of seem the same, and you spend six seconds on each one, and then you move on to the next thing," Garrett says. "When you come in here, you put the phone away, right? This, this room will stop the scroll, and you have to sit with it for a minute, and you have to sit with how much evidence there is."

RELATED STORY | Bill Gates tells House panel Epstein used extramarital affair to blackmail him

Garrett is not a curator, or a historian, or an artist, or even a political activst. Hes a dad, troubled by the pace in which some are trying to move past this issue.

"It's the corruption. There will always be monsters.There will always be terrible people and terrible crimes. It's the corruption that destroys democracies," he said.

Steps from the bookcases, there's a floor-to-ceiling timeline of Epstein, of Donald Trump, and of their friendship. While the President has not been interviewed by the DOJ or the House Oversight Committee, Garrett says he put Trumps name on the exhibit because of his personal connection to the case.

"Donald Trump's name is mentioned 38,000 times," Garrett said. "There are people on his cabinet that that are mentioned in the Epstein files. It's incredibly corrupt for him to be in charge of the investigation."

The president has denied a real friendship with Epstein.

RELATED STORY | Former New Mexico AG says he was told to stand down in Epstein ranch probe

Up the stairs is art by survivor Maria Farmer, depicting the pain and horror she endured as well as a place to honor the survivors.

"All I can think of is these women who lived with the stigma of their abuse for decades, and then stood up to the most powerful, richest people in the world," Garrett said. "They stood up and said we're not going to take it anymore, and we want answers, and we want accountability."

Hes hoping this exhibit leads to just that.

I think coming here and standing and looking at this, it's very hard to imagine that there isn't more investigation and more accountability to be had," he said.

The public is not able to read the files because not all names are redacted. However, survivors, journalists, members of Congress and law enforcement officials can all make appointments to read the files themselves. Garretts team created a database to help them review specific material.

Bill Gates testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Microsoft co-founder told lawmakers that Epstein blackmailed him over extramarital affairs but said he had no involvement in Epstein's crimes. He also said he never visited Epstein's home or his island.

I have never victimized anyone," Gates said. "While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated."

RELATED STORY | Bill Gates says he regrets Epstein ties as ex-wife says questions are his to answer

Gates' name appears nearly 3,000 times in federal records tied to Epstein, including calendar entries, emails and photographs.

During his testimony, Gates acknowledged that he was aware of Epstein's reputation and prior conviction for sex crimes. However, the billionaire said he viewed his relationship with Epstein as a way to connect with wealthy donors who could support his global health initiatives, according to Democratic lawmakers who questioned him.

RELATED STORY | Bill Gates says he regrets Epstein ties as ex-wife says questions are his to answer

Democrats on the committee said Gates also testified that he knew people in Epstein's orbit who may have been involved in the abuse. They said Gates also told them that he personally knew individuals who may have been victims of Epstein.

Wednesday's interview was not recorded on video. However, a transcript of the testimony is expected to be released by the committee at a later date.

On desolate dry land, about 40 miles south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, sits a sprawling estate mostly ignored by people passing by on the nearby highway.

The property, in the town of Stanley, is notorious for its former owner, the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who bought the property in 1993.

Now, the estate, known as Zorro Ranch, is back in the spotlight as state lawmakers probe Epsteins alleged crimes at the home, what investigators may have missed and what federal authorities may have withheld.

The word Zorro appears nearly 14,000 times in files connected to Epstein released by the Department of Justice, but the land has never been searched by federal authorities, and unredacted files have not been turned over to the New Mexico Department of Justice for its ongoing investigation.

Federal investigators told New Mexico attorney general to stand down

Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas first started looking into Epstein and the Zorro Ranch in 2019.

Allegations of crimes committed at the property include rape, sexual assault of minors, forced births and eugenics, according to accounts from Epstein survivors, their diary entries, and from the millions of files released by the Department of Justice.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Bondi says Blanche led Epstein review, cites privilege on Trump discussions

Months before Epstein was arrested in 2019, Balderas says he was well into building a state case and had just returned from interviewing an Epstein survivor when he received a call from the Southern District of New York.

"They were concerned that we were getting parallel interviews from the same survivors they were going to use in an aggressive prosecution as well, Balderas told the Scripps News Group in April.

Balderas paused the state probe, saying federal officials had the bigger hammer at the time. In exchange, he says he was promised by then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Comey that the DOJ would share evidence about the case and allow Balderas to pursue state charges down the road.

That never happened and federal investigators never executed a search warrant on the property.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Former Epstein assistant alleges sexual assault by ex-Miami Beach mayor, celebrity hairstylist

I think that they absolutely impacted our case, and I don't think that they were forthright, and I don't they were operating in good faith," Balderas said.

Now, Balderas wishes he had continued to pursue the state case.

"We would have absolutely gone alone and bet on the case that we currently had at the time," Balderas said.

A buried tip

Around the same time Balderas was working the case, local radio host Eddy Aragon received an emailed tip from someone who claimed to have worked on the ranch, alleging the bodies of two foreign girls were buried in the hills outside the Zorro.

Aragon says he sent that tip to the FBI, and there was no follow-up.

A Scripps News search of the DOJ files shows the FBI didn't enter Aragon's report into the system until 2021 two years after he submitted it.

"I don't think anybody investigated it, Aragon said. Would you think if we entered it three years later, like nothing was done?"

That tip never made it from the FBIs desk in New York to Balderas office in New Mexico.

Balderas says he only learned about that email this year after Congress voted to release the so-called Epstein files.

Im very angry, Balderas said. "They didn't meet the standard of what a good prosecution team should be working and collaborating with other partners.

Epstein leased land from the state

The hills outside the Zorro mentioned in the allegation sent to Aragon could potentially refer to state land that Epstein leased from New Mexico, extending far beyond his estates property line.

That state-leased land would have fallen under Balderas jurisdiction to investigate.

Stephanie Garcia Richard oversees that land as New Mexicos Commissioner of Public Lands. Her office initially discovered Aragons email in the released files.

"As soon as I saw that, my heart dropped," Garcia Richard said. What if the allegations were true?

When asked whether she had real concern that bodies could be buried on or near the Zorro Ranch property, Garcia Richard said the possibility exists.

"We do know there are missing individuals, she said. Those girls ... their bodies have not been recovered. So, you know, there is a potential there.

RELATED STORY | New Mexico's Epstein 'Truth Commission' issues 14 subpoenas at inaugural meeting

The ranch was between 7,500 and 10,000 acres, but Epstein added a 1,200-acre buffer zone through a lease of land from the state. That additional land makes the search for those alleged buried bodies even more challenging. The 2023 sale of the property to former Texas state senator Don Huffines could make a future investigation even more challenging.

There has been a long span between 2019 and today. We don't know the state of the, you know, the evidence now, Garcia Richard said.

State lawmakers seek answers

Now, a group of New Mexico state lawmakers are seeking more answers on alleged crimes at the Zorro Ranch and what authorities may have missed.

Republican State Representative Andrea Reeb is among four lawmakers on the bipartisan Epstein Truth Commission formed earlier this year. She feels Balderas should have taken more action when he was probing the case.

You hear, Oh, well, we didn't have the charges or the statutes to charge what the feds could have charged, but we had criminal sexual penetration of a minor for all different ages; one of them carries 18 years in prison. We had, may not have had trafficking of humans or sex trafficking charges, but we had enough that we could have definitely gotten some serious jail time on Mr. Epstein.

Reeb says she would have indicted the case had she been told by federal officials to pause it.

She doesnt accuse Balderas of wrongdoing, but said it was a missed opportunity.

Balderas counters that belief.

We were still building a case, he said. We were as transparent as we needed to be at that time.

For its part, the Truth Commission announced Monday it will issue 14 subpoenas in connection with its probe. The subpoenas are not directed at specific individuals but target the Epstein Estate, as well as banks and other entities tied to Epstein or related investigations.

Whether the Commission, the New Mexico DOJ or the federal government will get true justice for survivors is still very much an open question. But for many, justice starts with getting more answers.

I'm convinced that those answers are not in the documents that have been released, Balderas said. But they're in the millions of documents that are currently being withheld.

New Mexico state lawmakers held the first meeting of their Epstein "Truth Commission" on Monday, launching a formal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch and its potential use for criminal activity, human trafficking, and sexual abuse.

The four-person commission's meeting lasted less than an hour but served as an opportunity for lawmakers to outline their plan and goals and for Epstein survivors to have their voices heard.

RELATED STORY | New Mexico AG calls on Epstein survivors to come forward amid Zorro Ranch investigation

The only known Epstein survivor living in New Mexico, identified only as Rachel, spoke about her experiences. Lawmakers also heard from the family of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an Epstein victim who died by suicide in April of last year. Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law told the commission that Giuffre had repeatedly described being abused at Zorro Ranch, and that she paid the price for systems that for so long did not believe survivors.

"Virginia was not only abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell," Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts said. "She was trafficked to extremely wealthy, powerful and dangerous individuals. Some of that trafficking happened right here in New Mexico at Zorro Ranch. That is not speculation. That is not rumor. That is testimony. And New Mexico now stands at crossroads. This state can either repeat the failures we have already witnessed across institutions and protected power over people. Or New Mexico can lead."

Federal investigations into Epstein were conducted in Florida and New York, but no federal probe was launched in New Mexico. Giuffre's family addressed that gap directly, expressing hope that a meaningful separation between state and federal government could benefit survivors. They said that when an Epstein survivor feels the federal government has wronged them, the state government should be able to step in and conduct its own investigation and they hope something meaningful can come from this probe.

The commission left Monday's meeting with 14 subpoenas. The subpoenas are not directed at specific individuals but target the Epstein Estate, as well as banks and other entities tied to Epstein or related investigations.

State Rep. Andrea Reeb, one of the lawmakers on the commission, told Scripps News there is a possibility they will need more resources before a final report can be completed. The commission faces a deadline of July 31 to produce an interim report, with a final report scheduled for later this year.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Epsteins former New Mexico ranch searched in criminal investigation

Reeb said she is prepared to name names if she believes someone is involved, and that the commission is prepared to refer additional survivors to the Department of Justice at any time they come forward, in case they want to pursue legal action. The commission also said it will issue formal referrals to the state of New Mexico, Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other relevant international jurisdictions.

The commission said it is also prepared to make full legislative recommendations. At the time Epstein lived in New Mexico, he was not required to register as a convicted sex offender and that law remains on the books today. The commission believes targeted changes to that law could make a significant difference.

Falling oil prices are pushing stocks near record highs, but drivers shouldn't expect significant relief at the gas pump just yet.

The average fuel price in the U.S. is hovering around $4.47 per gallon, down from about $4.50 two weeks ago. Experts say the decline will be slow, as the gas Americans buy today is refined from crude oil purchased weeks ago at a more expensive price. Even though oil prices have fallen to under $90 per barrel, that effect won't be felt for at least a few weeks.

Investors are watching energy markets closely as crude oil prices drop amid the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

RELATED STORY | Market rebound: Why some stocks are looking past the Iran war

The U.S.-Iran ceasefire is holding, but the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The International Energy Agency says 20 million barrels of crude oil were shipped through the strait in 2025, making up about 25% of the world's seaborne oil.

Reuters has reported that Iranian state television says, per a framework deal with the U.S., Iran will restore commercial traffic within a month to pre-war levels and will manage ship traffic through the strait.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Oil companies look beyond Middle East for new supply sources

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it is critical that the strait be reopened soon.

"What's happening there is unlawful," Rubio said. "It's illegal. It's unsustainable for the world. It's unacceptable. The straits need to be open, unimpeded, without tolls, and obviously that needs to happen immediately as soon as anything is agreed."

If the ceasefire holds and the Strait of Hormuz opens, more oil supply will become available potentially even a surplus later this year that could trigger much lower gas prices.

Federal prosecutors have indicted two men accused of planning an ISIS-inspired attack last month during a counter-protest outside the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

According to a newly released indictment, authorities claim Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, tried to detonate two improvised explosive devices and were hoping to kill up to 60 people. But the improvised devices did not detonate and both men were quickly detained.

RELATED STORY | Men who brought explosives to NYC protest were inspired by ISIS, complaint says

Investigators claim they recovered a notebook that included plans for the attack, including instructions on how to make explosive devices. Authorities say the suspects' conversations were also recorded on a family member's dashcam as they commuted from Pennsylvania to New York ahead of the attack.

According to the indictment, one of the suspects said that he wanted "to start terror" and "petrify these people." The other suspect also allegedly said that he had "calculated" how many people they could kill.

Investigators said the men also had a backup plan to throw an explosive device into a cafe or potentially use their vehicle as a bomb if their original plan failed. According to prosecutors, the suspects made it clear in their conversations that they wanted to target the government and civilians with hopes of becoming martyrs.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | FBI says it foiled an ISIS-inspired New Year's Eve terror attack in North Carolina

During the initial attack and arrest, one of the men expressed support for ISIS. Then when he was taken to police headquarters for questioning, he waived his Miranda rights and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Both suspects are being held without bail on charges that include attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.

The House Oversight Committee is preparing for months of testimony tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

High-profile figures, including Bill Gates, are expected to testify about their interactions with Epstein. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has been photographed with Epstein, has volunteered to speak with the committee but has not yet scheduled an interview.

"I mean, that's a step, but isn't this, I mean, how many years late is this?" said Jennifer Freeman, who represents a group of survivors.

RELATED STORY | Democrats walk out of Pam Bondi briefing on Epstein Files

While prominent names are expected to draw attention, Freeman said testimony from former assistants, lawyers and close associates could provide the most revealing details about Epsteins actions. She has called for immunity for some of Epsteins closest confidants.

"You need an inside person to tell you what was really going on," she said. "And I don't understand why there's been no effort. I do understand, but I'm frustrated that there's been no effort, you know, talk to the lieutenants."

RELATED NEWS | House committee subpoenas Trump's AG Pam Bondi over Epstein file release

Tova Noel, one of the correctional officers on duty the morning Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, is scheduled to appear before the committee on March 26.

Noel was charged in 2019 with falsifying records to indicate she completed required rounds, when she had not conducted a prisoner count the night Epstein died. According to a Justice Department Office of Inspector General report, surveillance video showed Noel at about 10:40 p.m. that night carrying linens to the tier where Epstein was housed.

The charges against Noel were later dismissed as part of a deal with prosecutors. Investigators have said she is believed to be among the last people to see Epstein alive.

The House Oversight Committee this week continued its inquiry into the Department of Justice's handling of its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Fireworks during a briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi are raising more questions about her pending subpoena.

Chairman James Comer brought Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in for an evening briefing Wednesday. Democrats say they found out about the format and their ability to question the officials only shortly before the briefing began. They walked out in the middle of the briefing.

"This is being staged at some kind of fake hearing," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA). "She's not under oath. And she would not commit to actually going under oath and following the law."

RELATED NEWS | House committee subpoenas Trump's AG Pam Bondi over Epstein file release

Comer called out Democrats for what he calls a gross lack of seriousness in the proceedings. He was noncommittal to fulfilling the bipartisan subpoena issued for the Attorney General in April.

"We had the sitting attorney general and the top brass of the Department of Justice there yesterday," Comer said. "If you're mature, credible members of Congress leading the investigation, you don't want that televised because you want to get information that will hopefully lead to criminal referrals and lead to accountability."

Depositions in the investigation have previously been behind closed doors and have not been televised live. Many, but not all, have been taped and later released by the Republican majority, with some editing.

EARLIER | House Oversight Committee releases video of Bill and Hillary Clinton depositions

Comer said some of the five Republicans who voted for the bipartisan subpoena were embarrassed. Only Congresswoman Lauren Bobert and Congressman Tim Burchett have commented publicly.

Bondi remains under heavy scrutiny for the way the files have been handled, including questionable redactions, naming survivors and millions of files believed to be currently withheld.

A cyberattack on U.S.-based medical technology company Stryker, reportedly linked to an Iranian-backed hacking group, is raising concerns about the safety of Americans at home as the war in Iran continues.

The attack on Wednesday wiped phones and computers tied to Stryker's global systems. The Wall Street Journal reported that the logo of an Iran-linked hacking group also appeared on the company's login pages.

RELATED STORY | US medical technology company hit by suspected Iran-linked cyberattack

Stryker said in a statement that it is working to ensure its electronic ordering system is back up and running as soon as possible.

"It is safe to communicate with Stryker employees and sales representatives by email and phone, and within your facility," the statement read. "We are committed to keeping our stakeholders informed as we manage this situation. There is nothing more important to us than the customers and patients we have."

The attack comes after the FBI issued a warning that Iran plotted to carry out a revenge attack on California using drones. The FBI has also warned that Iran has set up a significant network in Mexico and in South America.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | $5,000 reward offered after military drones stolen from Fort Campbell

While experts warn that large-scale attacks are very unlikely, the threat still exists. Daniel Byman, director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats and Terrorism program at CSIS, said the ongoing war is also raising new questions about how Iran may approach future attacks.

"In the past, Iran has been careful about attacks on the U.S. homeland although there have been some plots," Byman said. "But there really is question right now, which is are the rules different? Is the all-out war changing how Iran approaches this? But I'm also looking at Iranian attacks on American and Israeli targets around the world. There Iran has been more aggressive over the years. We've seen Iran do attacks in places as different as Argentina and Bulgaria and southeast Asia. And of course there are a lot of Americans, there are a lot of American companies, there are a lot of Israeli and Jewish targets around the world and Iran in the past has been willing to attack these. And I think it's at least possible that they're trying to do so right now. The good news is there is a pretty aggressive counterterrorism effort to stop it, but unfortunately the terrorists only have to get lucky once."

A diary written by a young girl details graphic accounts of abuse involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The handwritten pages describe trauma she says she endured.

I think the diary was one of the most striking pieces of evidence that I've come across in the probably tens of thousands of pages of the Epstein files that I've reviewed thus far, said Eliza Orlins, a career public defender who has been reviewing the Epstein files. I found it incredibly disturbing.

Dozens of diary pages that were made public in the release of Epstein-related investigative materials focus on what the girl describes as repeated abuse, including multiple pregnancies. She provides detailed accounts of childbirth with Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly in the room and of a baby, born alive, being taken away.

In one entry, she asks herself, Why didn't I close my eyes fast enough? She writes that Maxwell told her to close my eyes and put her hands over my eyes.

In a separate coded entry, she writes: I can't bring myself to write what happened. I'm beyond broken. I only got 10 to 15 minutes to hold and feed her before they took her. She is mine. I want her back.

An image of a sonogram is glued to the same undated page. She goes on to refer to multiple pregnancies.

Tomorrow is the halfway ultrasound for Jeffrey. This one stuck. After they took the first baby who survived in the early miscarriage, I think it was called, I no longer feel like a person, but a vessel. Will they take this one too?

In a style reminiscent of teenage scrapbook collages, the girl glued magazine words onto pages to describe her abuse.

She was basically a sex slave, Orlins said. She was put through forced birth. She was put through so much trauma and horror.

Other pages are filled with prayers asking to be released from what she calls torture and hell.

To date, there are no known related investigations or charges connected to the girl who wrote the diary.

We all should be screaming and yelling and talking about why there weren't investigations, you know, why there weren't certain searches, why prosecutions weren't brought, why sweetheart deals were given, Orlins said.

It is unclear what happened to the baby or who the father is. Scripps News reached out to the law firm representing the survivor. The firm declined to comment, and Scripps News does not know the survivors identity.

A top New Mexico official is calling for an investigation into public land near Jeffrey Epsteins Zorro Ranch after a newly released email alleged that two foreign girls were buried there.

Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said she requested an investigation after learning about a 2019 email included in recently released Epstein-related documents. The email, sent to a conservative radio host, claimed that two girls were buried on public land leased near the ranch. The act was allegedly done at the direction of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking.

There was a very disturbing allegation that came out that could potentially be linked to state land, Garcia Richard said. Because I am the manager of that land. Im the elected steward of that land and what occurs there and what the land is used for is of utmost interest and importance to us at the State Land Office.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Lutnick confirms 2012 boat visit with Epstein amid Senate questioning

She said, to her knowledge, neither the state land nor Zorro Ranch has ever been searched as part of a criminal investigation.

From reviewing historical documents, Garcia Richard said it appears the leased state land may have been used as a buffer around the ranch.

It seems like the state land was used almost as a buffer, a shield to hide what activity was occurring on the ranch ... to insulate visibility to what was occurring there, she said.

Garcia Richard said she is concerned the land could be a potential crime scene.

If state land was used for criminal activity, that is definitely something New Mexicans need to know, she said. Those are answers that victims and survivors need to have.

Garcia Richard said she has the authority to cancel leases on state land and confirmed that any party associated with Epstein was removed from the property. The lease was canceled in 2019 and has not been issued to anyone else.

However, she said the State Land Office does not have law enforcement authority.

RELATED STORY | FBI concluded Jeffrey Epstein wasnt running a sex trafficking ring for powerful men, files show

"We are looking to partner with other agencies that do have that capacity to investigate the land," Garcia Richard said.

Garcia Richard said technology exists in New Mexico to conduct searches for possible unmarked graves, including ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs.

The land in question is fairly large, she said, but investigators would likely focus first on a specific area referenced as the hills behind Zorro Ranch, which she said is state land.

Garcia Richard said she has asked the New Mexico Department of Justice and federal authorities to get involved and plans to pursue other state partnerships if necessary.

Garcia Richard also said she reached out to the attorney generals office in 2019 seeking an investigation, but nothing was done at the time.

The Department of Justice has not released a single document pertaining to its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell since Dec. 23, and survivors aren't holding their breath that they'll see more relevant documents released any time soon.

"I'm losing faith," Epstein survivor and advocate Lisa Phillips said, "I thought when the president signed the bill, whether he wanted to or not, that we were going to get answers and the files were going to be released at some point, but just seeing what's being released, I just feel like it's a joke."

Phillips tells the Scripps News Group she's felt an increase in nervousness and anxiousness since the deadline hit on Dec. 19.

RELATED STORY | DOJ doesn't give date on when more Epstein files will be released

According to Phillips, the documents made public so far fail to tell a coherent or truthful story about Epstein's operation. She described the releases as superficial, where evidence has been omitted that could reveal how Epstein's trafficking network actually functioned.

"It doesn't take the audios, the videos, the emails and put it all together to paint a real picture," she explained.

The Department of Justice has said it is consulting with victims and their attorneys as it makes redactions. In repeated letters to federal judges, Attorney General Pam Bondi says her team is going through millions of documents and redacting information to protect victims. Phillips rejected that explanation, arguing that the redactions serve a very different purpose.

RELATED STORY | Justice Department has released only 1% of Epstein files, new filing says

"They've never been worried about the victims," she said, "They're worried about politicians and powerful people" who could be embarrassed or incriminated.

Phillips pointed to Epstein's extensive use of surveillance inside his homes, saying, unless it's been destroyed, authorities already possess far more evidence than they are willing to release.

"Epstein had, in his home, cameras everywhere," she said. "They have video of every person who walked into those houses, every person who went into a room with a minor or a young woman. They can see what happened before, during, and after."

She and another survivor recently joined Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie in asking the judge overseeing Maxwell's criminal case to appoint an independent authority to oversee the review and release of the files. The request was denied.

RELATED STORY | Epstein survivors urge DOJ watchdog to review and oversee future file releases

"It was really disappointing," she said. "The best solution would have been someone unbiased, nonpartisan, just going through the files and connecting the dots properly."

Those dots, Phillips said, stretch far beyond Epstein himself.

"Epstein had tentacles in all different areas, including academia, tech, universities, modeling agencies," she said. Phillips described Epstein as a calculated manipulator who tailored his grooming to each victim's ambitions.

"Nothing was random with Jeffrey Epstein," she said. "He worked on what you wanted."

Still, she says, even with a full release of the files, she doesn't expect to see every perpetrator behind bars.

RELATED STORY | Lawmakers threaten legal action over delayed Epstein files release

"We know how powerful these men are," Phillips said. "Justice doesn't mean everyone goes to prison. But it does mean the truth comes out."

Phillips is arguably one of the most outspoken of the survivors. Last fall, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, she said survivors might begin naming names themselves if the government failed to act.

When Scripps News asked her about the status of the list, she said pieces have already been released.

"I've been making that a reality," she said, noting that some individuals she has publicly called out have since resigned.

This time, Phillips says, the list came from survivors realizing many of them were sent to various universities on scholarships by Epstein himself.

Maxwell has filed a habeas corpus petition with the Court, where she reveals there are four potential co-conspirators and 25 men who allegedly settled their claims. All of their identities, Maxwell says, are known to the government.

Maxwell is expected to give a virtual deposition to the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 9.

"We don't want her releasing names so she's let out of prison," she said. "We want her in prison because she did abuse young girls."

Aside from the Committee's work, she concedes there's not much appetite on Capitol Hill to pressure the administration to release the files. "They're scared," she added.

Her ire lies with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Phillips said has not kept her word.

Bondi is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in February.